One University of Washington sophomore’s happy accident in a dirty Nalgene bottle has led to a flavor sensation hitting the University District: small-batch, hand-fermented kombucha.
“The trick to get the texture just right is to leave it in a dark gym locker for at least three weeks and forget about it,” stated 23-year-old anthropology major Myra Hernandez. “That lets the bacteria really thrive in the bottle. Then I open the lid and leave it out in the rain overnight to let the SCOBY absorb some moisture. I would describe its flavor as a frothy Gold Rush-era spittoon with hints of peach. The aftertaste has notes of classroom hamster cage wood shavings. It’s really delicious.”
Like visionaries before her, Hernandez believes it was equal parts luck and hard work that brought about this beverage hit.
“Growing up, I wasn’t really exposed to the stuff until I moved to Seattle and bought a bunch of Nalgenes that I accidentally left sitting around my moldy student apartment and the back of my roommate’s car,” Hernandez said. “I’ve gotten buy-out offers already from big-time beverage companies, but I think I’m going to stick with small, grassroots yeast farming. I’m already planning on two new flavors: Forgotten in Backpack Berry and Rolled Under Bed Banana!”
When asked to elaborate further on future plans, Hernandez stated she plans to give back to the community by auctioning off her original two-year-old never-washed Nalgene bottle. Money raised will go towards a community workshop where kids can experiment with their own pro-biotic-infested BPA-free bottles.
